Report: Forest Eye Double Deal To Add To Defence & Midfield | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest target Jhon Lucumi and Tijjani Reijnders in ambitious late-window plan

Nottingham Forest appear to be moving with a certain clarity now, the sort that suggests a squad is being shaped to meet the demands of Oliver Glasner rather than merely patched together for another season. According to TeamTalk, Forest are exploring a notable double move, one aimed at the centre of defence and the centre of midfield, with Jhon Lucumi and Tijjani Reijnders both under consideration.

The report states that Forest “have shown clear interest in defender Jhon Lucimi” and that the club “have already sounded out the conditions required to complete a deal for the Bologna star”. Whether that develops into a formal push, it reflects a sensible instinct. Lucumi is described as “a solid addition who could bring greater defensive solidity and competition for places at the back”, and that profile feels aligned with a side seeking greater certainty without sacrificing aggression.

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More eye-catching, perhaps, is the mention of Reijnders. TeamTalk says the Manchester City midfielder “has emerged as a realistic target to replace Elliot Anderson”. It is an intriguing description of Forest’s ambition. Reijnders offers rhythm and progression, a player whose “vision, energy and ability to dictate play make him an attractive option for Forest’s engine room”. In a league increasingly settled by who can control transitions, that sort of midfielder carries rare value.

Forest transfer strategy under Oliver Glasner

There is, naturally, a complication. “Man City are open to a sale of Reijnders if an offer of around £60million arrives,” the report says, though “there is a strong feeling that the player would prefer to remain at a club competing in European competition.” That tension is familiar to clubs operating just beneath the established elite. Recruitment becomes part persuasion, part projection.

Forest’s adjustment is also revealing. “Spurs have made it plain they do not wish to sell the youngster,” after earlier interest in Lucas Bergvall, “prompting Forest to pivot towards the Man City man instead.” Good recruitment departments do not merely identify targets, they move quickly when routes close.

Jhon Lucumi and Tijjani Reijnders fit clear needs

The appeal of this potential double deal lies in balance. “Both Lucumi and Reijnders fit the club’s desire to add quality without disrupting the balance of the existing group.” That is often easier to write than to achieve, but Forest’s thinking seems coherent. “Negotiations are expected to intensify in the coming days,” and if they do, Forest may be testing how persuasive their project has become.

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From a Nottingham Forest perspective, this is exactly the sort of report that stirs curiosity because it feels ambitious without being absurd. Lucumi makes immediate sense. Forest have needed authority at the back before, and a defender who can add “greater defensive solidity and competition for places at the back” sounds like a practical upgrade rather than a vanity pursuit.

Reijnders is the one that really grabs the imagination. If there is any chance at all of landing a midfielder with that level of composure and technical quality, Forest should explore it fully. The obvious concern is the line about European football. If “there is a strong feeling that the player would prefer to remain at a club competing in European competition”, then Forest have to sell more than wages or minutes. They have to sell trajectory, coaching, and the idea that this team can rise quickly under Oliver Glasner.

As a Forest supporter, that is the encouraging part. The club do seem to be thinking upwards. Pivoting from Bergvall when “Spurs have made it plain they do not wish to sell the youngster” suggests decisiveness, not drift. Even if only one of these deals happens, it would say something important about where Forest see themselves. For too long, survival was the horizon. Moves like these hint at something more demanding, and more interesting.